'You have to live, you have to learn': 94-year-old woman earns college degree

'You have to live, you have to learn': 94-year-old woman earns college degree

Amy Craton will earn her master's degree next

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Updated: 10:26 AM CST Jan 18, 2017

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WEBVTT BUT A 94-YEAR-OLD GREATGRANDMOTHER IN HAWAII SHOWS THATANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IF YOUDON'T GIVE UP.94-YEAR-OLD AMY CRATON HAS SEENMANY DAYS, BUT SAYS THIS WAS ONEOF THE MOST MEMORABLE.THE GREAT-GRANDMOTHER ATTENDED ACEREMONY TO ACCEPT HER COLLEGEDEGREE.YOU HAVE TO LIVE, YOU HAVE TOLEARN AS LONG AS YOU CAN LEARN.SHELLEY: THE HONOLULU RESIDENTFIRST WENT TO COLLEGE IN 1962BUT PUT HER EDUCATION ON HOLD TOSUPPORT HER CHILDREN.NOW IN A WHEELCHAIR AND HARD OFHEARING, ATTENDING COLLEGE ONCAMPUS WAS OUT OF THE QUESTION.>> I SAID, I CAN'T DO IT.I CAN'T GO TO SCHOOL AGAIN.SO IN THE FALL OF 2013, CRATONENROLLED IN SOUTHERN NHAMPSHIRE UNIVERSITY'S ONLINEDEGREE PROGRAM.>> I COULDN'T SEE JUST SITTINGTHERE, WATCHING NETFLIX ALL THETIMESHELLEY: SNHU PRESIDENT PAULLEBLANC TRAVELED ALL THE WAY TOHAWAII TO HAND CRATON HER B.A.IN CREATIVE WRITING AND ENGLISEARNED WITH AN IMPRESSIVE GPA.SHE PUTS EVERYBODY TO SHAME.4.0.SHELLEY: LEBLANC SAYS CRATSHOWS IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO GETTHAT DEGREE.>> SO MANY PEOPLE STRUGGLE,CAN'T GET ACROSS THAT FINISHLINE, AND HERE'S AMY WHO HAD TOSTOP 52 YEARS AGO.SHELLE CRATON WAS SURROUNDEDBY FRIENDS AND FAMILY AS SHERECEIVED HER DIPLOMA AND MANYMORE WATCHED VIA FACETIME.BUT CRATON SAYS SHE'S NOT DONEYET.>> IT FEELS GOOD TO GRADUATE, TOFINISH THAT PART OF MY LIFE.BUT I FEEL THAT I'M STILL ON THEROAD.I HAVE MORE TO LEARNNOW ALL BE DOING MY MASTERS.SHELLE HER EXPECTED GRADUATIONDATE, THE FALL OF 2019.>> AS LONG AS I GET GOOD GRADESI'LL BE HAPPY.SHELLEY: UNIVERSITY OFFICIALSSAY CRATON IS THE OLDEST PERSONTO EARN A DEGREE FROM SOUTHERNNEW HAMPSHIRE UNIVERSITYCONGRATULATIONS TO HER.WHAT A GREAT INSPIRATION SHE IS.

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'You have to live, you have to learn': 94-year-old woman earns college degree

Ninety-four-year-old Amy Craton has seen many things, but she said getting her college degree was one of the most memorable.

The great-grandmother from Hawaii showed that anything is possible if you don't give up.

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The Honolulu resident first went to college in 1962 but put her education on hold to support her children.

Carton is now in a wheelchair and is hard of hearing, so attending college on campus was out of the question.

“I said, ‘I can't do it. I can't go to school again,’” Craton said.

In the fall of 2013, she enrolled in Southern New Hampshire University’s online degree program.

“I couldn't see just sitting there, watching Netflix all the time,” Craton said. “…You have to live, you have to learn, as long as you can.”

SNHU President Paul LeBlanc traveled all the way to Hawaii to attend a graduation ceremony for Craton, where he handed her a bachelor of arts degree in creative writing and English, which she earned with an impressive GPA.

“A 4.0. She puts everybody to shame,” LeBlanc said.

LeBlanc said Craton’s story shows that it's never too late to get that degree.

“So many people struggle, can't get across that finish line, and here's Amy who had to stop 52 years ago,” he said.

Craton was surrounded by friends and family as she received her diploma, and many more watched on Facetime.

Craton said she's not done yet.

“It feels good to graduate, to finish that part of my life,” she said. “But I feel that I'm still on the road. I have more to learn. So now, I'll be doing my master’s.”

Her expected graduation date is the fall of 2019.

“As long as I get good grades I'll be happy,” Craton said.

University officials said Craton is the oldest person to earn a degree from Southern New Hampshire University.